From Normal Flora to Brain Abscesses: A Review of .

is a β-hemolytic Gram-positive member of the group (SAG). Despite being a part of the normal microbiota, it is one of the most common pathogens associated with brain and liver abscesses and thoracic empyema, increasing as a result the morbidity and mortality rates in affected patients. Though there are numerous published case reports on infections, it is still understudied compared to other SAG members. Our knowledge of the genomic factors contributing to its dissemination to the brain and abscess development is also limited to few characterized genes. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on identification methods, virulence factors, and insight provided by the whole-genome and correlate patients' metadata, symptoms, and disease outcome with infections in 101 recent case reports obtained from PubMed. This combined information highlights the gaps in our understanding of pathogenesis, suggesting future research directions to unveil the factors contributing to abscess development.